I Like Old Clothes - Hardcover

Hoberman, Mary Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375869514 ISBN 13: 9780375869518

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012

Synopsis

I like old clothes, / Hand-me-down clothes, / Worn outgrown clothes, / Not-my-own clothes. . . . Originally published by Knopf in 1976 (with illustrations by Jacqueline Chwast), this poem—an exuberant celebration of hand-me-down clothes—is just as relevant and accessible today as it was over 30 years ago.  Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman offers a bouncy, fun-to-read-aloud text and a refreshingly agreeable, resourceful protagonist who likes old clothes for their "history" and "mystery." Illustrator Patrice Barton brings new, contemporary life to the poem, with an adorable little girl and her younger brother playing dress-up, making crafts, and happily treasuring their hand-me-downs.

About this title

About the Author

Children's Poet Laureate MARY ANN HOBERMAN has written over 40 children's books. She's the recipient of a National Book Award and the NCTE Poetry for Children Award. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with her husband, Norman. They have four children and five grandchildren.

About the Illustrator
PATRICE BARTON earned a BFA in studio art from the University of Texas in Austin, where she lives with her husband and son. Her books include Sweet Moon Baby written by Karen Henry Clark; Mine! by Shutta Crum; and Rosie Sprout's Time to Shine by Allison Wortche—all available from Knopf.

Reviews

As the song says, everything old is new again—at least it is to a young girl who revels in collecting and dressing up in hand-me-downs and secondhand finery. She inventively repurposes some garments and muses about the previous lives of others: “I try to imagine / The places they’ve been / And the faces they’ve seen— / And whose clothes they’ll be / When they’ve finished with me.” With a deft rhythm and rhyme, Hoberman’s celebration of clothes well worn (and well loved) feels fresh and timely, despite the text’s original publication in 1976, and it is an apt message for a new generation just learning the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle. Barton’s new mixed-media and pencil illustrations, featuring a soft, faded quality and fabric-like patterns, show scenes of an exuberant red-haired girl, with younger brother in tow, piling on everything from a marching-band jacket to a weathered flannel shirt with equal—and infectious—enthusiasm. A marvelous example of how a little creativity and imagination can elevate everyday economy into something much more fun. Preschool-Grade 1. --Kristen McKulski

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0375869514
• ISBN 13: 9780375869518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Barton Patrice
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32